Press Releases: 2013

"I join in congratulating Sec. Napolitano on her selection as the next President of the University of California system and thanking her for her service at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security over the past four years.

Once again, House Republicans are in disarray. Violating their own ‘three-day’ rule of posting legislation for all to read, they have announced a vote tomorrow on a controversial, 600-page Farm Bill that nobody has had a chance to read and that omits nutrition assistance funding for low-income families under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP).

The fiscal year 2014 Energy and Water Appropriations bill that Republicans brought to the Floor this week takes the wrong approach to budgeting and slashes critical energy and water infrastructure investments, which is why I am opposing it.

“Today, as I stood with the families of the nineteen fallen firefighters in Prescott Valley, Arizona, I joined in remembering their dedication, their courage, and their sacrifice as they fought to save their community from one of the region’s most devastating wildfires.

“Starting today, as a result of Congress’s failure to achieve a big and balanced solution to deficits, our national security and military readiness will be weakened as civilian workers are prevented from carrying out their important work because of furloughs.

“The Mid-Session Review released by the Office of Management and Budget this afternoon shows that the President’s budget proposal for FY2014 continues to be a serious approach to deficit reduction that will put America back on the path to fiscal stability.

“The jobs report for June reaffirms that our economic recovery is continuing to move forward, even while manufacturers and other businesses still face uncertainty resulting from a lack of clear fiscal and job-growth policies set by Congress and as a consequence of the irrational sequester

“I’m pleased to announce that today marks the beginning of House Democrats’ fourth annual Online All-Star Competition, which encourages Members of the Democratic Caucus to strengthen online engagement with our constituents.

“As Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of nineteen courageous firefighters who rushed into harm’s way to protect their community from a devastating wildfire near Yarnell, Arizona.

“It is extremely disappointing that Congress has failed to act to keep student loan interest rates low. It was no surprise that rates would double today from 3.4% to 6.8%, but partisan dysfunction in Congress continues to stand in the way of solving even the most predictable and easily preventable problems facing our country.

“Today marks the 100th day since the Senate passed its budget resolution, providing Speaker Boehner with the opportunity to follow regular order and appoint House Republican conferees to begin negotiations on a final version of the budget for FY2014.

“I am encouraged that our manufacturing sector grew in June, but the uncertainty manufacturers continue to face as a result of the irrational sequester and Congress’s failure to achieve a big, balanced solution to deficits still hampers their ability to invest, expand, and create jobs.

“One year ago today, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which will make quality, affordable health care accessible to millions of Americans.

“’We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’

“Today’s confirmation of Penny Pritzker as our new Secretary of Commerce is welcome news for America’s businesses and entrepreneurs. With a strong record of leadership in the private sector and experience serving the Administration as an advisor to the President on jobs and competitiveness, she brings a wealth of talent and expertise to her new position, which will benefit the President’s ongoing efforts to help American businesses grow and access a range of opportunities in financing, export assistance, and market access.

“I join in marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, a core component of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal that standardized the forty-hour workweek, guaranteed ‘time-and-a-half’ overtime pay, and established the first federal minimum wage.

“As Americans have witnessed the increasing frequency of deadly storms like Hurricane Sandy and the stifling heat that has led to devastating droughts, there can be no denying the impact of climate change on our environment, our economy, and our national security.